Improvements to couplers

ABSTRACT

A coupler to secure a work attachment to a work vehicle is disclosed. The work attachment includes a first pin and a second pin, while the coupler body has a first engagement portion which is configured to accept the first pin and a second engagement portion configured to accept the second pin. The coupler body has a guide and a slider configured to slide along the guide. The body of the slider includes a first locking portion and a second locking portion. The coupler has a trigger located on the coupler body such that the trigger is released by contact with the second pin, and a first actuator that is activated by release of the trigger. When the trigger is released, the first actuator moves the slider along the guide into an engaged position where the first locking portion engages and retains the first pin in the first engagement portion of the coupler body and the second locking portion engages and retains the second pin in the second engagement portion of the coupler body at the same time.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C.§371 of PCT Application Number PCT/NZ2014/000246 filed on Dec. 17, 2014,which claims the benefit of New Zealand Patent Provisional ApplicationNumber 619300 filed on Dec. 24, 2013. The subject matter of theseearlier filed patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to improvements to couplers, and moreparticularly, to couplers used to secure work attachments to workvehicles.

BACKGROUND

Couplers are devices used to secure work attachments to work vehicles.These devices generally function through the coupler having a pluralityof jaws to engage a pair of pins on the work attachment.

There are many configurations for the jaws used in available couplers.For instance, some couplers include a single fixed jaw, used incombination with either a sliding jaw or a pivoting jaw (hook).Alternatively, a coupler may include a pair of fixed jaws, at least oneof which includes a secondary (moveable) jaw or locking portion tosecure the work attachment's pins in the immoveable jaw(s).

Work vehicles such as diggers and their work attachments are frequentlyused in the construction industry. The use of this type of equipmentcreates health and safety risks. Therefore, it is important to ensurethat the work attachments are securely connected to the work vehicle. Infact, many countries have regulations that couplers must include lockingmechanisms to secure a pin in the coupler's jaw(s).

Many of the available couplers have configurations that couldpotentially cause the coupler to be in an unsafe position for use e.g.one of the jaws or locking portions do not adequately engage the pin(s).This can lead to inadvertent release of the pins, and thereby droppingof the work attachment. Obviously, this will create health and safetyrisks and should be minimized or reduced.

United States Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0164080 to Millerdescribes a coupler having a trigger to activate a locking mechanismwhen the coupler body is brought into alignment/contact with the workattachment's pin. Once activated, the locking mechanism is moved byactuators into a position in which it secures a pin in a jaw of thecoupler. This coupler includes a locking member which is pivotallysecured to the coupler body. That locking member, when engaged, securesa pin in an immoveable jaw of the coupler body.

The locking member is positioned above the moveable jaw and below aquick connect that secures the coupler to a work vehicle. As the lockingmember needs to pivot to move between release position and a lockposition, it requires a large space between the immoveable jaw and thequick connect. That space accentuates the coupler's vertical offset.Increasing a coupler's vertical offset increases the tip radius for awork attachment such as a bucket. The tip diameter is related to thepower which a work vehicle can transfer to the work attachment.Increasing tip diameter decreases the effective power of the workattachment in use. Therefore, decreasing vertical offset would bebeneficial.

However, the configuration of the locking member used in United StatesPatent Application Publication No. 2013/0164080 does not enable thevertical offset to be minimized. As a result, this coupler does notprovide a completely satisfactory solution to the problems experiencedwith existing couplers.

Another problem of the coupler described in United States PatentApplication Publication No. 2013/0164080 arises from the use of twoseparate locking members. Engagement of the trigger causes the lockingmembers to be released, so that actuators such as springs can move thoselocking members to a position in which they engage the work attachment'spins. However, there are several moving parts. This increases thecomplexity of the coupler from the design and manufacturing perspective.In addition, these additional moving parts are a potential source ofwear and failure for the coupler.

As a result, it would be beneficial to have a coupler having fewermoving parts than that described in United States Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2013/0164080, yet that activates locking portions when apin is brought into a predetermined position with respect to thecoupler.

It would also be beneficial to have a coupler which could reduce thevertical offset while activating locking portions when a pin is movedinto a predetermined position with respect to the coupler.

In addition, it would be an advantage to provide the public with animproved coupler that addresses any or all of the foregoing problems.

Alternatively, it is objective of the present invention to provide thepublic with a useful choice.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments of the present invention may provide solutions tothe problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fullyidentified, appreciated, or solved by current coupler technologies. Forexample, some embodiments of the present invention pertain to a couplerto secure a work attachment to a work vehicle. The work attachmentincludes a first pin and a second pin. The coupler includes a couplerbody having a first engagement portion that is configured to accept thefirst pin, a second engagement portion configured to accept the secondpin, and a guide. The coupler also includes a slider configured to slidealong the guide. A body of the slider includes a first locking portionand a second locking portion. The coupler further includes a triggerlocated on the coupler body such that the trigger is released by contactwith the second pin and a first actuator that is activated by release ofthe trigger. When the trigger is released, the first actuator can movethe slider along the guide into an engaged position where the firstlocking portion engages and retains the first pin in the firstengagement portion of the coupler body, and the second locking portionengages and retains the second pin in the second engagement portion ofthe coupler body, at the same time.

In some embodiments the first engagement portion and the secondengagement portion are located at fixed positions on the coupler bodyand are spaced apart by a fixed distance. In certain embodiments, thelocking portion and the second locking portion are located at fixedpositions on the slider body and are spaced apart by the fixed distance.In some embodiments, the fixed distance corresponds to a separationbetween the first pin and the second pin of the work attachment. Incertain embodiments, the first actuator is a coil spring. In someembodiments, the coupler includes a locking mechanism configured to holdthe slider in a disengaged position, in which the first pin is notretained in the first engagement portion and the second pin is notretained in the second engagement portion, until the trigger isreleased.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there isprovided a coupler substantially as described above including a secondactuator that, when activated, is configured to move the slider from theengaged position to the disengaged position. In some embodiments,activation of the second activator to move the slider into thedisengaged position includes resetting the trigger. In certainembodiments, the second actuator is a hydraulically operated actuator.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, there isprovided a method of securing a work attachment to a work vehicle. Thework attachment includes a first pin and a second pin, and the couplerincludes a coupler body having a first engagement portion that isconfigured to accept the first pin, a second engagement portionconfigured to accept the second pin, and a guide. The coupler alsoincludes a slider configured to slide along the guide. A body of theslider includes a first locking portion and a second locking portion.The coupler further includes a trigger located on the coupler body suchthat the trigger is released by contact with the second pin and a firstactuator that is activated by release of the trigger. The methodincludes locating the first pin on the work attachment in the firstengagement portion of the coupler body and inserting the second pin intothe second engagement portion of the coupler body so that the second pincontacts and releases the trigger. The method also includes activatingthe first actuator to move the slider along the guide into an engagedposition where the first locking portion engages and retains the firstpin in the first engagement portion of the coupler body, and the secondlocking portion engages and retains the second pin in the secondengagement portion of the coupler body, at the same time.

In some embodiments, the method includes releasing the work attachmentfrom the coupler by moving the slider with respect to the coupler bodyinto a disengaged position in which the first pin is not retained in thefirst engagement portion and the second pin is not retained in thesecond engagement portion. In certain embodiments, the slider is movedmanually. In other embodiments, the slider is moved by action of asecond activator. In some embodiments, the step of moving the sliderinto the disengaged position includes resetting the trigger.

Throughout the present specification reference to the term slider shouldbe understood meaning a component that is configured to move with asliding motion with respect to the coupler body.

The coupler including a slider provides a number of benefits. Forinstance, the slider requires a comparatively smaller cavity in thecoupler body to provide it with the necessary range of motion than apivoting hook. Therefore, the slider enables the coupler's verticaloffset to be minimized compared to different types of couplers.

In addition, the slider is able to provide two locking portions that caneach engage a pin on a work attachment, e.g., a different pin to theother. This is due to the range of motion of the slider. In contrast,using a hook style coupler requires several separate components to beused to engage two separate pins. That increases the complexity of thehook style couplers. It also means that hook style couplers include moreparts to the present invention which increases manufacturing costs, andmay reduce the reliability of the coupler. Therefore, the use of aslider assists in reducing the moving parts in the coupler.

Throughout the present specification reference to the term “lockingportion” should be understood as meaning a component to engage a pin ofa work attachment.

Engagement of the pin can occur in a number of different ways. Forinstance, a locking portion may have a substantially “c” shaped crosssection. Therefore, in use, the locking portion surrounds a substantialportion of a pin.

Alternatively, the locking portion may be a detent secured to theslider, or an end of the slider. In use, these embodiments abut the pin,and also decrease the opening of a fixed jaw in the coupler. Theinteraction of the locking portion with the pin and fixed jaw securesthe pin to the coupler.

However, the foregoing should not be seen as limiting on the scope ofthe present invention. It is also envisaged that the locking portioncould take alternative forms. For instance, a locking portion may beprovided by a pair of movable jaws which both engage the same pin. Inthese embodiments the interaction of the two moveable jaws secures thepin with respect to the coupler.

Throughout the present specification reference to the term “trigger”should be understood as meaning a component which when engaged enablesan actuator to move the locking portions to a locking position.

In preferred embodiments, the trigger is configured to move a lockingmechanism so that it releases the locking portion(s) to thereby allowthem to be moved by an actuator.

The use of a trigger may assist in providing a coupler thatautomatically moves two locking portions to an engaged position when thecoupler engages with the second pin, without operator involvement.

Throughout the present specification reference will be made to the termsdisengaged position and engaged position.

The term “disengaged position” should be understood as meaning aposition in which a locking portion does not engage a pin on a workattachment. It should be appreciated that the term does not refer to theposition of the coupler body with respect to a work attachment. Rather,the term refers to the position of the locking portion(s) with respectto the coupler body, and in which the coupler can move with respect tothe pins.

In some embodiments, the locking portions are moved by an actuator suchas a spring. However, the actuator may take other forms such as being aworm drive, hydraulic actuator, or chain drive mechanism. Therefore, theforegoing should not be seen as limiting.

In some embodiments, the coupler is configured so that the lockingportions are manually moved to a disengaged position. For instance, aperson can apply force to the slider so as to cause it to move withrespect to the coupler body.

The actuator in some embodiments may be a hydraulic cylinder or othersuitable component as would be known to one skilled in the art. As aresult, the foregoing should not be seen as limiting on the scope of thepresent invention.

Some embodiments include a locking mechanism.

Throughout the present specification reference to the term “lockingmechanism” should be understood as meaning a component to limit, andpreferably prevent movement of, the locking portion(s).

In some embodiments, the locking mechanism secures the locking portionsin the disengaged and/or engaged positions. Therefore, the lockingmechanism prevents the locking portions inadvertently disengaging thepin(s).

In addition, the locking mechanism can hold the locking portions in adisengaged position. This enables a trigger to be used to release thelocking portions on engagement by a pin of a work attachment.

However, the foregoing should not be seen as limiting on the scope ofthe present invention. For instance, it is also envisaged that thelocking mechanism could be provided by check valves that restrictexpansion or contraction of a hydraulic cylinder which is configured tomove the locking portions.

It should be appreciated that the present invention may have a number ofadvantages. These include, but are not limited to, automatically causinga locking portion(s) to be moved to an engaged position to therebysecure a work attachment to the coupler without operator involvement.This reduces the potential for a work attachment to be improperlyconnected to the coupler and thereby provides a potentially safercoupler. Also, the number of moving parts of the coupler may be reducedcompared to those currently available. Accordingly, the coupler may bemore cost effective to manufacture, easier to maintain, and less proneto failure. Further, the coupler's vertical offset may be reduced whileachieving the above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of certain embodiments of the inventionwill be readily understood, a more particular description of theinvention briefly described above will be rendered by reference tospecific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings.While it should be understood that these drawings depict only typicalembodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered tobe limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explainedwith additional specificity and detail through the use of theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective exploded view of a coupler according to oneembodiment of present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an assembled coupler according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of FIGS. 2-4;

FIGS. 6A-D are side cross-sectional schematics showing the process ofsecuring a work attachment to a vehicle using a coupler according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective of a second embodiment of a coupleraccording to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a coupler according to the second embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side-cross sectional view of a coupler according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention in a locked position;

FIG. 11 a view of FIG. 11 in a release position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Some embodiments pertain to couplers that automatically cause a lockingportion(s) to be moved to an engaged position to thereby secure a workattachment to the coupler without operator involvement. This reduces thepotential for a work attachment to be improperly connected to thecoupler and thereby provides a potentially safer coupler. Also, thenumber of moving parts of the coupler may be reduced compared toconventional couplers. Accordingly, the coupler of some embodiments maybe more cost effective to manufacture, easier to maintain, and lessprone to failure. Further, the coupler's vertical offset may be reducedwhile activating locking portions when a pin is moved into apredetermined position with respect to the coupler.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is provided a coupler (1) according toa first embodiment of the present invention. The coupler (1) includes acoupler body (2). The coupler body (2) includes apertures (3) formingpart of a quick connect configured to secure the coupler (1) to an armof a work vehicle (not shown in the Figures). The apertures (3) andquick connect (not shown) are as should be known to one skilled in theart.

The coupler body (2) includes a first engagement portion in the form ofa first fixed jaw (9). The first fixed jaw (9) has a substantially “C”shaped cross-section as is best seen in FIG. 5. The first fixed jaw (9)includes a cradle section (10) and a lip (11). The linear (shortest)distance between a first edge of cradle (10A) and a second edge ofcradle (10B) is sufficient to enable a first pin (12) on a workattachment (not shown in the Figures) to be inserted into the jaw (9).

The coupler body also includes a second engagement portion in the formof a second fixed jaw (25). The second fixed jaw is in the form of acurved face on the underside of the coupler body. The opening of thefirst fixed jaw is directed towards the front of the coupler body whilethe opening of the second fixed jaw is directed towards the rear of thecoupler body.

The coupler body (2) includes a guide in the form of channels (4). Thechannels (4) are configured to receive the side edges (6) of a slider,generally indicated by arrow (5) in FIG. 1. Interaction between thechannels (4) and the side edges (6) of the slider (5) defines a path ofmovement for the slider (5) with respect to the coupler body (2). Theslider (5) provides a first locking portion (7). In the embodiment shownin the Figures, the first locking portion is provided by a surface on anunderside of a front end of the slider. Preferably, the surface is flatin some embodiments.

For clarity of description we will use the term “upper”, “lower”,“front” and “back”, and similar terms in relation to the coupler, wherethe terms are those that would normally be used to describe theorientation of the coupler as shown in the figures (with the front beingto the right hand side).

The slider (5) includes a second locking portion in the form of a sliderfixed jaw (8) that is substantially “C” shaped in cross-section. Theopening of the slider fixed jaw is directed towards the front of theslider, so that the slider fixed jaw (8) forms a clamp with the secondfixed jaw of the coupler body (25). The first locking portion (7) andthe second locking portion (8) are located at fixed positions on theslider. Therefore, movement of the slider (5) with respect to thecoupler body (2) does not alter the separation between the first andsecond locking portions (7, 8).

The slider includes a beam (26) which forms part of a locking mechanism.The beam has a cross section like a truncated rectangle; i.e. arectangle with a cut made from a corner on one side to a point partiallyalong the opposite side, the cut forming a ramp between the two sides.The beam is located across the slider body near the rear of the sliderbody, such that the shorter side of the rectangle is facing forwards.

A first actuator in the form of a spring (13) is connected at one end toan attachment portion (14) on the slider. The attachment portion (14) ispivotally secured to the slider (5) near the front end. The other end ofthe spring (13) is attached to a trigger (15) at a trigger attachmentportion (50). The trigger (15) is pivotally mounted to the coupler body(2) by an axle (16) that extends from the edges of the trigger (15). Theaxle (16) sits within apertures (see, for example, FIG. 6B) in thecoupler body (2) so as to pivotally secure the trigger (15) to thecoupler body (2).

A trigger locking mechanism in the form of a member (18) extends awayfrom the trigger's body (17). The trigger locking mechanism isconfigured to operate in conjunction with the beam (26). The lockingmember (18) includes a first portion (19) and a second portion (20). Thesecond portion is in the form of a ledge extending downward from thelocking member. In use the ledge (20) engages with the beam (26) to lockand/or unlock the slider with respect to the coupler body.

An underside (21) of the trigger's body (17) provides an engagementportion (21) which extends between the axle (16) and the second portion(20). An upward force applied to the engagement portion (21) causes thetrigger's body (17) to rotate around the axle (16). This rotation liftsthe ledge (20) up the longer rear side of the beam onto the ramp. Thisaction releases the slider to move forward with respect to the couplerbody. When the beam (26) has passed beneath the ledge (20) the rear sideof the ledge drops down over the forward side of the beam into anindent, which may prevent the slider from moving and releasing the pins(until the locking mechanism is reset).

The slider (5) includes a hook (22). The hook (22) provides a point atwhich the slider (5) may be engaged so as to move that along the lengthof channels (4). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the hook (22) isorientated to extend in an upwards direction in the coupler (1) normalorientation in use of the coupler (1). However, the hook (22) can takeother shapes and/or orientations.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6D, showing the steps involved in using thecoupler (1) to secure a work attachment (not shown) to a work vehicle(not shown). The work attachment includes a first pin (23) and a secondpin (24) as should be known to one skilled in the art. Initially thework vehicle is used to maneuver the coupler (1) so that the first pin(23) is inserted into the immovable jaw (9) (i.e. the first engagementportion). At this stage the coupler body is typically inclined withrespect to the two pins of the work attachment, as shown in FIG. 6A, sothat only the first pin is engaged with the coupler.

The next step involves rotating the coupler body (2) so that the secondpin (24) is bought into contact with the second engagement portion (25)on the underside of the coupler body (2). In doing so, the second pin(24) is bought into contact with the engagement portion (21) of thetrigger's body (17). This causes the trigger (15) to pivot about theaxle (16), thus moving the ledge (20) up the rear face of the beam (26)onto the ramp of the beam allowing the slider to move. This isillustrated in FIG. 6B.

The stored energy in the compressed spring (13) applies a force betweenthe trigger attachment portion (50) (which is essentially fixed relativeto the coupler body) and the attachment portion (14) at the front of theslider body. The force causes the slider (5) to move along the channels(4) towards the first fixed jaw (9) in the direction shown by arrow (27)in FIG. 6C. The spring (13) moves the slider (5) into the position shownin FIG. 6D. In doing so, the first locking portion (7) is bought into aposition in which it engages the first pin (23). The first lockingportion (7) reduces the opening of the jaw (9) to thereby secure thefirst pin (23) in the jaw (9). At the same time the second lockingportion (8) is moved to engage the second pin (24) against the secondfixed jaw (25).

The cradle (10) and the first locking portion (7) engage the first pin(23) to prevent movement with respect to the coupler body (22).Accordingly, the second pin (24) is not able to move longitudinally withrespect to the channels (4). As a result, the second pin (24) does notexert a substantial or significant force having a horizontal componentagainst the second locking portion (8). Therefore, the second pin (24)only exerts force having a vertical component against the second lockingportion (8). This helps to reduce the chances that in operation theforces which the second pin (24) may exert against the coupler (1) couldlead to the coupler (1) being moved to a release position.

The spring (13) exerts a force against the trigger (17) causing it torotate about axle (17) in the direction shown by arrow (27) in FIG. 6D.This causes the ledge (20) to bear against the front side of the beam(26). As a result, the locking mechanism prevents the slider (5) movingbackwards, which could disengage (release) the first pin (23) and thesecond pin (24). This is an engaged (locked) position for the coupler(1). The locking portions (7, 8) have engaged the first and second pins(23, 24). In addition, the locking mechanism (20, 26) may reduce orprevent movement of the slider (5).

To release the work attachment an operator can engage engagement portion(19) of the locking mechanism to lift the ledge (20) above the beam(26), thus allowing the slider to be moved backwards, for example bypulling on the hook (22). Continued movement of the slider (5) along thechannels (4) causes the first and second locking portions (7, 8) todisengage (release) the first and second pins (23, 24).

Referring now to FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 which show a coupler (28)which is similar to that described above (and in FIGS. 1-6), butincluding a second activator configured to move the slider back into thedisengaged position, in the process compressing the coil spring andresetting the trigger

The second actuator (37) is in the form of a hydraulic cylinderincluding a housing (38) and ram (39). The hydraulic cylinder (37) isconnected to a hydraulic control system (not shown in the Figures) asshould be understood by one skilled in the art. The hydraulic cylinder(37) is located in the front portion of the slider.

Rods (40) extend from the side of the housing (38). The rods (40) areconfigured to sit within transverse channels (36) near the front end ofthe slider (32), so that the hydraulic cylinder can pivot about the rods(40).

The ram (39) includes a mounting (42) configured to connect the secondactuator (37) to the trigger (30). The first actuator, in the form of acoil spring (43), is wound around the ram (39) between the housing (38)and the mounting (42). The hydraulic cylinder is configured to retractthe ram into the cylinder when pressure is applied (i.e. shorten thedistance between the hydraulic cylinder and the trigger). Hence theeffective action of the coil spring is to exert a force against thetrigger counteracting the force applied by the hydraulic cylinder as itretracts.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show this embodiment of the coupler in the engagedposition. The trigger (30) is held against the rear face of the lockingmechanism preventing forward movement of the slider under the action ofthe coil spring (13). In this position there is no pressure applied tothe hydraulic cylinder.

Pressure is applied to the hydraulic cylinder (37) when the coupler isto be operated to release the pins. The hydraulic cylinder is configuredto retract the ram (39) into the cylinder body (38) when pressure isapplied. This does several things: firstly it pulls the trigger (30)towards the front of the coupler body causing the trigger to rotate andrelease the locking mechanism from the beam (35) of the lockingmechanism; secondly after the initial rotation of the trigger furtherretraction of the ram pulls the slider towards the trigger, thus movingthe slider backwards with respect to the coupler body and into therelease position in which the first locking portion (33) and a secondlocking portion (34) do not engage pins on a work attachment; andthirdly it compresses the coil spring, all as shown in FIG. 11. Thisseries of actions releases the pins and resets the coil spring ready forre-engagement with the pins.

The hydraulic system is configured to release the pressure to thehydraulic cylinder when the slider reaches the full release position.This allows the coil spring (13) to push against the trigger (30), whichis no longer pulled by the ram, thus initially causing the trigger torotate towards the rear of the slide where it engages with the frontface of the beam (35) of the locking mechanism, preventing furthermovement towards the rear.

The sequence of actions performed when the coupler is next used to movethe slider into the engaged position is as described previously for thefirst embodiment. No pressure is applied to the hydraulic cylinderduring the engagement process. A key feature again is that the trigger(30) is released by upward pressure on the trigger when the second pinis engaged in the second engagement portion of the coupler body.

The coupler (28) of this embodiment therefore includes a mechanism tocause automatic engagement of the first and second pins (23, 24) on thework attachment when a designated pin is bought into a position relativeto the coupler body (29). Furthermore, the coupler (28) can subsequentlybe moved to a disengaged position through activation of the secondactuator, thereby releasing the work attachment, without the operatorexiting the work vehicle.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited inthis specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission ismade that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of thereferences states what their authors assert, and the applicants reservethe right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the citeddocuments. It will be clearly understood that, although a number ofprior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does notconstitute an admission that any of these documents form part of thecommon general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any othercountry.

Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variationsthereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to implythe inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elementsintegers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integeror step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

It will be readily understood that the components of various embodimentsof the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in thefigures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety ofdifferent configurations. Thus, the detailed description of theembodiments of the present invention, as represented in the attachedfigures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed,but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention.

The features, structures, or characteristics of the invention describedthroughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments. For example, reference throughout thisspecification to “certain embodiments,” “some embodiments,” or similarlanguage means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in certain embodiments,” “in some embodiment,” “in other embodiments,”or similar language throughout this specification do not necessarily allrefer to the same group of embodiments and the described features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments.

It should be noted that reference throughout this specification tofeatures, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of thefeatures and advantages that may be realized with the present inventionshould be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather,language referring to the features and advantages is understood to meanthat a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described inconnection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment ofthe present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages,and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that theinvention can be practiced without one or more of the specific featuresor advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additionalfeatures and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments thatmay not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that theinvention as discussed above may be practiced with steps in a differentorder, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which aredifferent than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although theinvention has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, itwould be apparent to those of skill in the art that certainmodifications, variations, and alternative constructions would beapparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.In order to determine the metes and bounds of the invention, therefore,reference should be made to the appended claims.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A coupler configured to secure a work attachment toa work vehicle, the work attachment comprising a first pin and a secondpin, the coupler comprising: a coupler body, comprising: a firstengagement portion that is configured to accept the first pin, a secondengagement portion configured to accept the second pin, and a guide; aslider configured to slide along the guide, wherein a body of the slidercomprises a first locking portion and a second locking portion; atrigger located on the coupler body such that the trigger is released bycontact with the second pin; and a first actuator that is activated byrelease of the trigger, wherein when the trigger is released, the firstactuator can move the slider along the guide into an engaged positionwhere the first locking portion engages and retains the first pin in thefirst engagement portion of the coupler body, and the second lockingportion engages and retains the second pin in the second engagementportion of the coupler body, at the same time.
 22. The coupler of claim21, wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagementportion are located at fixed positions on the coupler body and arespaced apart by a fixed distance.
 23. The coupler of claim 22, whereinthe first engagement portion and the second engagement portion arelocated at fixed positions on the slider body spaced apart by the fixeddistance.
 24. The coupler of claim 23, wherein the fixed distancecorresponds to a separation between the first pin and the second pin ofthe work attachment.
 25. The coupler of claim 24, wherein the firstengagement portion comprises a first fixed jaw.
 26. The coupler of claim25, wherein the second engagement portion comprises a second fixed jaw.27. The coupler of claim 21, wherein the first locking portion of theslider comprises an end of the slider that enters into the space createdby the first fixed jaw of the coupler body.
 28. The coupler of claim 27,wherein the second locking portion of the slider comprises a third fixedjaw.
 29. The coupler of claim 21, further comprising: a lockingmechanism configured to hold the slider in a disengaged position, inwhich the first pin is not retained in the first engagement portion andthe second pin is not retained in the second engagement portion, untilthe trigger is released.
 30. The coupler of claim 29, wherein thetrigger is configured to operate the locking mechanism so that when thetrigger is released, it releases the slider, allowing the slider to bemoved by the first actuator into the engaged position.
 31. The couplerof claim 29, wherein the slider is moved to the disengaged positionmanually.
 32. The coupler of claim 29 including a second actuator which,when activated, is configured to move the slider from the engagedposition to the disengaged position.
 33. The coupler of claim 21,wherein the first actuator comprises a coil spring.
 34. The coupler ofclaim 33, wherein activation of the second actuator to move the slideinto the disengaged position comprises resetting the trigger.
 35. Thecoupler of claim 33, wherein the second actuator comprises ahydraulically operated actuator.
 36. A method of securing a workattachment to a work vehicle using a coupler, comprising: locating afirst pin on the work attachment in a first engagement portion of acoupler body; inserting a second pin into a second engagement portion ofthe coupler body so that the second pin contacts and releases a trigger;and activating a first actuator to move a slider along a guide into anengaged position where a first locking portion engages and retains thefirst pin in the first engagement portion of the coupler body, and asecond locking portion engages and retains the second pin in the secondengagement portion of the coupler body, at the same time.
 37. The methodof claim 36, further comprising: releasing the work attachment from thecoupler by moving the slider with respect to the coupler body into adisengaged position in which the first pin is not retained in the firstengagement portion and the second pin is not retained in the secondengagement portion.
 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the slider ismoved manually.
 39. The method of claim 37, wherein the slider is movedby action of a second actuator.
 40. The method of claim 37, wherein themoving of the slider into the disengaged position comprises resettingthe trigger.